Simon Says
by splitseconddecision
Summary: Seven-shot. A week-long game of Simon Says? College welcome week was never this much fun. Akuroku.
1. Monday: Simon Says

Title: Simon Says

Summary: Seven-Shot. College welcome week was never this much fun. AkuRoku

Rating: T for offensive language and adult situations

Disclaimer: Not my sandbox. I just play in it.

Dedicated to: My clone/former roommate Becky, off of whom I bounce my ridiculous little plot bunnies.

…..

**Monday: Simon Says**

…

I gaze up at the residence hall with well-disguised trepidation. I shift, hefting my backpack and turning back to watch my older brother approach with the last of my suitcases. Cloud's a good guy, really. Drove me all the way here from Twilight Town, where I grew up – an hour-long drive, if you discount traffic.

"You okay, Rox?" Cloud asks, setting the suitcase next to the other two. I shrug. I'm nervous as a… well… a very nervous thing, but I'm not about to let him know. Cloud's always had a very independent streak, which I've adopted for myself – be strong! Show no weakness!

"Guess so," I say, trying to keep my voice level. Cloud raises an eyebrow. I should have known he'd be able to see right through me.

"If you say so. Got your key?" I hold up the keychain issued by the res-life office, allowing the two keys (one for the building's main door, one for my room) to clatter against one another. I've always had a thing for keys. These in particular are very interesting – not the kind you'd usually expect for general-issue dorm locks. Cloud continues speaking as I space out. "Good. I'd better get going. I promised Leon I'd wait for the AC repairman while he was at work."

"What? But how am I supposed to get all of this up to the fifth floor on my own?" I cry, motioning to the three suitcases, two large cardboard boxes, TV set and mini-refrigerator that litter the ground nearby. Now, I'm glad I live on the top floor and therefore don't have to deal with too much noise, but come _on_! Four flights of stairs? Someone's going to steal my crap while I'm making the first trip, you can count on it. Cloud gives a nonchalant shrug. I take it back – he's not such a good guy after all. Lazy bastard.

"Get a friend to help you."

"I don't _have _a friend, Cloud, it's the first day!"

"So make one. See you at Thanksgiving."

"Wha -? Bu -! _Cloud_!" The bastard saunters off as I stutter. Typical Cloud – in and out as quick as possible, doesn't mince words.

"Ouch. The tough-love approach, eh?" I turn to the source of the new voice and stare. The young man who spoke looks like he's gotten into a fight with a razor and lost. "I'm Demyx Myde – the RA for Atlantica Hall over here!" He pats the wall of the res hall lovingly, as if it's some kind of overgrown pet.

"Roxas Strife," I mutter, figuring that it's probably a good idea to get on the RA's good side.

"Can I call you Roxy?"

"N – "

"Great! Nice to meet you, Roxy. I can help you with your things, if you want." I stare – more a glare now – and then sigh. He's seems like an idiot, but at least he's a helpful idiot.

"Sure. I'm fifth floor. Could you just watch my stuff, make sure no one takes any of it?" I ask. Demyx snaps to attention and gives a jaunty salute.

"Sir yes sir! Lieutenant Myde reporting for guard duty, sir!" I give him a calculatedly blank look, although on the inside I'm trying not to let out a snort of laughter.

"Okay. Thanks, man." I heft the backpack again and grab the handle of one of the suitcases, heading into the building.

…

The poor sap doesn't suspect a thing. I smirk, then dart out my tongue to wet my lips. My breathing is shallow, my muscles tense. I take a step forward, and then another, reveling in the drama. I feel… rather like a lion, stalking its prey, poised to spring.

Finally, after a moment of this reveling, I launch myself at my unsuspecting victim.

He lets out a girlish squeal as I tackle him to the floor, spurring an impromptu wrestling match. Which I win, of course.

"Axeeel!" Demyx whines. I smirk triumphantly from my perch on his back, pushing down on the back of his head and smooshing his face into the grass.

"Gotcha, Dem," I say.

"Aaaaax, I'm buuuuusyyyyy!" Tch. Pansy. He knows how much I hate his whining.

"You don't look busy to me, nancy-boy."

"I'm on guard duty – Ax, c'mon, lemme up!"

"_Guard _duty?" I ask dubiously, standing up. "Who the fuck would put _you_ on _guard duty_?" And what the fuck was he supposed to be guarding? Demyx looks up at me from the ground, grinning.

"One of our new charges!" he says, ebullient. I roll my eyes.

"Ah, freshmeat," I say, playing on the designation. "No wonder." Demyx dragged me into this RA business last year after I couldn't find a place to stay off-campus. Traverse Town University only provides housing for the first two years, and my roommate from last year high-tailed it to Hollow Bastion on some kind of urban planning internship or another. Thus, I'd been homeless until Demyx got the bright idea to drag me down with him in his fit of school-spirited philanthropy.

Ah well. At least I have a room now.

"So," I say, gazing at the various items – the freshman's luggage, apparently – that were spread haphazardly on the grass. "Doesn't Freshmeat have any friends to help him move his shit?" Dem shrugs.

"His brother was here, but the guy had to leave for something or other." He clearly isn't paying much attention. I nudge one of the cardboard boxes with my foot, causing one of the flaps to open. I glance up at Dem, who's pulled his sitar out from the case that had been slung over his shoulder and started tuning it. Grinning, I root around quietly in the box – no harm in checking out what kind of newbies we've got ourselves this year. Dem doesn't notice.

My hand closes around something vaguely electronic-like. I pull out my plunder to find an iPod in my hand. Jackpot. I pocket it, nudging the cardboard box back closed. Dem starts strumming a cheerful tune on his sitar as I gaze around the Green in front of our res hall.

Atlantica is one of five res halls (the others being Agrabah, Olympus, Neverland and Port Royal) that open onto this field. Each hall has two RAs – Dem and I keep the Atlantica kids under control. It's not as busy as I expected it to be, even if it is the early move-in day. I sigh and fold my arms, scanning the surroundings for something interesting to do.

My eyes light up as they land on Marluxia, one of the RAs for Neverland Hall. He's always good for a laugh. I bid Demyx a quick goodbye to go and pester the pink-haired guy for a while, Freshmeat's iPod still in my pocket.

…

I managed to get the rest of my stuff up to my room in one piece. Demyx followed me, though, so now I have to listening to his chattering and strumming on his… sitar?... while I put everything in its place.

"…and there'll be dances, and games, and free food, and…" Currently, he's chattering something about Welcome Week, which starts today and ends when we start classes. It sounds relatively fun, but right now I'm preoccupied with making up my bed and hanging my posters. There's another bed in the room, currently unoccupied. Demyx says it's because I'm the first one here, and that my roommate is probably driving down later.

I don't really care.

"Oh! And tonight, we're having a massive game of Simon Says!" Demyx is saying, catching my attention. I own at Simon Says. "It's supposed to be ongoing – weeklong. If someone can outlast our 'Simon' till then, they get a 500 munny gift card to Belle's Bookstore – that's just off campus."

"500 munny?" I ask incredulously. Demyx beams, clearly happy to have evoked a response.

"That's right. I don't think anyone'll last though. Axel – he's our 'Simon' – is a god when it comes to calling for Simon Says. It'll be over within an hour." I narrow my eyes. This could prove interesting. Demyx continues chattering.

"Axel's the other RA for this building, you know. We've been friends since high school." I grunt noncommittally, not really paying attention as Demyx continues rambling. My mind is more focused on what books I will buy once I win the Simon Says competition.

The sound of the door opening makes Demyx shut up (finally) and me whip my head around. It would seem my roommate has finally arrived – a teenager with messy blond hair and camouflage pants. He's flanked by a girl with brown hair and an overweight boy wearing a sweatshirt for the Hollow Bastion Technical Institute, each carrying a cardboard box. Demyx lets out a joyous cry and jumps up from my bed to introduce himself.

"Er, hi," my roommate says, giving Demyx a look that one generally reserves for the mentally incompetent. "I'm Hayner." He turns his gaze to me as I finish putting up my poster of the Besaid Aurochs over my bed. "You must be my roommate…"

"Roxas," I say, reaching to grab another poster. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, I guess I'd better get going to make sure everyone is settling in," Demyx says, making sure to collect his sitar from the foot of my bed. "It was great talking to you, Roxy. Don't forget the game tonight, and come find me if you need anything."

"Game?" Hayner asks as Demyx exits, humming a cheerful tune. I shrug.

"Some Welcome Week thing. One of our RAs is in charge."

"Ah." There's an awkward silence as the other two (whose names I don't know) exchange glances.

"Well," says the girl, "Pence and I are gonna go get the rest of your stuff, Hayner. You should start getting organized." Hayner nods, rolling his eyes, as the boy and girl exit quickly. He turns to me, eyebrow raised.

"You come down here by yourself?" he asks. I shrug.

"My brother drove me and my stuff up here, but he had stuff to do, so he left me to move everything in myself."

"Ah," Hayner says. Another awkward silence permeates the air. I tape up another poster. "So… what's this game that Dumyx guy was talking about?" I snort as he butchers the RA's name.

"_Demyx_ was talking about the first Welcome Week event… some kind of Simon Says game that lasts the week. Prize is 500 munny to a bookstore off campus." Hayner raises his eyebrows.

"Lot of money. You could probably buy your textbooks for an entire year…" I laugh.

"Unlikely. 500 _might_ cover a semester. Maybe."

"Yeah, you're right," Hayner says, smiling sheepishly. "A guy can dream, though." Pence and the girl return, bringing with them a large cardboard box and wide grins.

"Hey, the cafeteria is open," Pence says. "You wanna go get lunch?" Hayner grins and dives into one of his boxes, pulling out a battered wallet.

"Sure thing," he says, following the others out. He pauses at the door and glances back at me. "You wanna come, Roxas?" I grin and hop down off of my bed, swiping my ID card (which doubles as an ATM card on campus) and keys from the desk.

…

Freshmeat has some pretty decent music, I've decided. I flip through his library while listening to some My Chemical Romance song… Panic at the Disco, Coldplay… and is that… Backstreet Boys? I raise an eyebrow. He's certainly got variation.

Marluxia's chattering about something or other – I'm hardly paying attention. Freshmeat's iPod is much more entertaining. The pink-haired RA is interrupted when Demyx skips up to us, all sunshine and rainbows.

"Hey, Ax, Marly! All the newbies are settled, so we need to have a meeting with the other RAs before we kick off the Welcome Week Games." I shrug and jump off of the railing I've been perch atop, my eyes still glued to the iPod. The three of us start strolling to the central lounge, where all of the meetings for the dorms take place. Demyx and Marly are chattering when Demyx suddenly pauses and looks to me.

"When did you get an iPod, Ax?" he asks. I smirk.

"This morning."

"Wha – ? But you've been on campus all morning… do they sell those at the cafeteria now…?" I snicker at Demyx's obtuseness and don't answer. Mostly because he'd get all PMS-y to find out that I swiped it from Freshmeat's luggage. A PMS-y Demyx is not fun to deal with, as I found out during finals week in our first year of college, when we were roommates.

We're the last to arrive at the central lounge. There are ten RAs, including Demyx, Marly and me, and we all answer to the bossman, Xemnas, and his power-tripping assistant, Saix. Saix is giving us the evil eye as we troop in and settle down on the couches by the other minio – er, RAs.

"Now that we're all here," Xemnas says, "I trust there were no major problems with getting the new students moved in?" Demyx raises his hand eagerly, as if we're still in grade school. Xemnas rolls his eyes. "Yes, Demyx?"

"Some of our kids had trouble getting larger stuff to the upper floors. We should probably get elevators," Demyx chirps. It's amusing how he takes himself so seriously, sometimes.

"Duly noted. Anyone else have hundred-thousand-munny ventures in which they feel we should partake because freshman plan poorly for moving?" Demyx pouts and retracts his hand.

The meeting proceeds, and I ignore it in favor of Freshmeat's iPod until Xemnas snaps at me.

"_Axel_." I look up into his annoyed amber eyes, a bit miffed myself at the interruption.

"Yes?"

"You are in charge of the weeklong competition, yes?" Xemnas asks. I sigh and wave my hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah. Simon Says."

"Did you decide on a _prize_?"

"Winner gets 500 munny," I say absently, returning to the iPod. My retreat is curtailed by 'the Superior's' angry growl.

"And you didn't think to clear it with _me_ before you allocated _500 munny_ from the res life treasury to _one_ prize in the _first week_ of school?"

"Don't worry about it Xemmy. I'll have them all out before the first day. Rules are I have to give up before anyone wins," I say, ignoring the fact that he is mentally castigating me for using such an informal nickname with him.

"Yeah, and we all know Axel is stubborn as an ass," Larxene – the other Neverland Hall RA – says crudely. She's the only female RA. Traverse Town University is a very male-dominated school. "No one will _ever_ be able to make him surrender." Xemnas scowls and rubs his temples, before turning to me with a face like thunder.

"You'd _better_ have them out by tonight, Axel. If you don't, the prize munny will be coming out of _your_ pocket." I shrug. It'll be cakewalk.

…

Hayner watches in bewilderment as I toss clothes out of my dresser and overturn my storage boxes to search their content.

"Are you sure you brought it?" he asks, cringing as one of my t-shirts flies by his face.

"Of _course_ I brought it! I can't survive long without it! How else will I drown out annoying chitchat on the way to class? What'll I listen to when I'm studying?" I'm not usually the type of person to panic, but when I do panic, I do it with a vengeance. And misplacing a 200-munny piece of electronic equipment – my very _lifeline_ – is definitely cause to panic.

"It's just an iPod," Hayner attempts to console me as I flit from one end of the room to the other. "You can get a new one."

"It has all of my music on it! I haven't transferred any of it to my new laptop yet. _Two thousand songs_, Hayner! Do you know how much munny that is in iTunes? How many_ hours_ of illegal downloads?" I think I'm starting to hyperventilate. Hayner apparently thinks so, too.

"Calm down, dude. You'll give yourself a heart attack. We'll tell Domyx ("That's _Dem_yx!") that it's missing, and he'll spread the word. Come on, we've got that Simon Says game to get to – five minutes!" I take a deep breath and close my eyes. He's right, as much as I hate to admit it. If I haven't found it after twenty minutes of tearing up my side of the room, it's probably not there.

"All right," I say after a moment. "Demyx will probably be down on the green waiting for the game to start." Hayner gives a sigh of relief.

"Let's go!" he says, bounding through the door. I follow at a more sedate pace, making sure to lock the door behind me.

The other students are already congregating on the green. Demyx is easy to spot, strumming away on his sitar and surrounded by admirers. We push through the crowd, and Demyx stops playing once he sees the distressed look one my face.

"Roxy?" Demyx asks over the groans of his groupies. "What's wrong?" I open my mouth, but Hayner beats me to it.

"His iPod is missing," Hayner says. I'm not looking at him, but I can tell he's rolling his eyes.

"Could you spread the word, Demyx?" I plead, letting Hayner's impatience slide. Demyx nods dutifully.

"Of course! Don't worry a thing about it, Roxy, it'll turn up!" He's so cheerful it gives me a headache.

"Hey! Listen up!"

My head whips around to the speaker, a lanky redhead standing on one of the picnic tables. I stare. This guy is weirder than Demyx (scuffle-with-a-lawn-mower hair and all). His hair is sticking up all over the place in gravity-defying spikes – a bright, blood-red that I'd have a hard time believing isn't dyed. He's got practically no eyebrows to speak of, and upside-down teardrop tattoos _on his face_.

And he's holding my iPod. _My_ iPod, with the sparkly star stickers my cousin Sora stuck on the back last time he came to visit. I'm seeing red now, and it's not just his hair.

"It's time to get this party started," the redhead says, swirling the iPod wheel around and raising one eyebrow in a way that is making me certain he's just found my stash of RENT songs. The redhead looks up briefly, making sure he's got everyone's attention. As if anyone could miss him in a crowd. "I'm one of the RAs for Atlantica Hall – " Oh no. " – The name's Axel. Commit it to memory. I'm also in charge of this little ice breaker game of Simon Says – " Oh nonono. " – Dem over here is gonna explain the rules." He waves briefly in Demyx's direction.

The perky blond, having put away his sitar in its case, bounds up to the picnic table and jumps atop it in a single stride. He teeters a bit, arms windmilling, before righting himself and smiling at the crowd. He starts into an introductory spiel for the res halls in general, and I sidle out of the crowd and stalk over to where Axel is browsing through my iPod, apart from the crowd.

"That's. _My_. _IPOD_," I hiss at him through gritted teeth, once I'm within earshot. Axel looks up at me calmly.

"Is it, now?"

…

Play it cool, Axel. Suave. Don't let on that you feel any shame – that's easy, 'cause you don't. But _definitely_ don't let on that Freshmeat is the hottest piece of ass you've seen in a long time.

"_Yes_. It _is_," the blond bombshell replies.

Or that he's especially cute when he's angry. Well, he could be that cute when he's not angry – you wouldn't know, as this is the first time you've met him.

"Ah," I say, inspecting him. "And?"

"_And_, I want it back." Oh, he's getting _pissed_, now. You should probably backtrack, Ax. If you're not nice to him a little, he'll _never_ sleep with you.

Don't let on that you want to fuck him.

And don't let on that you talk to yourself, either.

"One condition," I say, giving him my most charming grin. "Tell me your name." Freshmeat presses his lips together tightly. There's a moment of silence as he contemplates and Dem chatters in the background about the rules of our version of Simon Says.

"Roxas," he spits out at last. This must be what winning the lottery feels like.

"Can I call you Roxy?" I ask with a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.

"N – "

"Great!" I cut him off, shoving the iPod into his hands. "Best of luck in the game, Roxy, I'll go easy on you." Hands in my pockets, I stroll back to the picnic table. Dem sees me approach and wraps up his soliloquy, sitting cross-legged on one of the benches as I jump back up onto the table.

"All right, kiddies! Let's get started. Simon says jump." They all – even Roxy, to my surprise – comply. I give a glance to Marluxia, Larxene, Xigbar and Luxord, who are monitoring for any outs. Xiggy smirks and gives me a thumbs up – they're ready to pull people out. I smirk. Rapid fire time.

"Simon says touch your nose. Simon says spin. Simon says hop on one foot. Simon says raise your hand. Lower it." About half of the poor innocent freshmen, confused by the brisk burst of instruction, are caught with their hands down. A hundred or so more to go.

I'm pleased to note that Roxy is still in. He's glaring at me. I wonder if he knows how amazingly blue his eyes are. I wonder what they look like when they're glazed over as I…

Enough of that. Think about him writhing beneath you later. Get people out now.

The game continues. For freshmen, these kids are pretty quick. About an hour in, and there are still about twenty-five remaining. Roxy is still one of them. I glance at Xiggy – the seniormost RA – making motions at his watch. I look at my own and sigh.

"All right, guys. Game's over for tonight. Head back to your dorms," I say. There's a clamour as the remaining players regroup and start talking amongst themselves, wandering off.

Roxy stays put, smirking determinedly now.

Hot.

"By the way," I call, mirth coloring my tone, "if you just moved, you're out." There's a stunned silence, followed by groans as the offenders leave the 'arena' we cordoned off with traffic cones. Roxy is the last one remaining. I turn to Xigbar, who's frowning.

"He didn't move, Xiggy." Xigbar turns a measuring gaze to the freshman.

"Sharp," he comments.

"Go Roxy!" Ah, yes. Demyx was still sitting on the bench.

"So does he win?" asks some unimportant blond kid from the peanut gallery.

"Not quite," Luxord says. "Axel has to give up before the kid wins." All eyes turn to me. I preen for a moment under the attention.

"Simon says the game is over for tonight and resumes tomorrow at nine A.M," I say, stretching luxuriously and gazing at Roxas all the while. He shifts uncomfortably as I grin at him. It's like earlier when I scared the living daylights out of Demyx – but this time, my prey will be much, much more satisfying. "Hope you're an early riser, Roxy."

…

I stare at my iPod in its position on my bedside table. I'm disgusted at the thought of touching it right now. One week to make that thieving, arrogant, clownish jerk give up.

I am so screwed.

…..

One down, six mo_**r**_e to go. G_**e**_tting _**v**_ery exc_**i**_t_**e**_d about _**w**_riting the next chapter_**!**_

Shameless? Moi?

To be continued in **"Tuesday: Hide and Seek"**


	2. Tuesday: Hide and Seek

**Title:** Simon Says

**Summary:** Seven-Shot. College welcome week was never this much fun. AkuRoku

**Rating:** T for offensive language and adult situations

**Disclaimer: **Not my sandbox. I just play in it.

**Dedicated to: **My clone/former roommate Becky, because she'll murder me in my sleep if I don't finish this.

**Note: **If my descriptions of the dorms confuse you, there is a link to the college residence site at the end of the fic – it includes a virtul tour with pictures and a floorplan of one suite. They are the best dorms on campus (cue smugness).

…..

**Tuesday: Hide and Seek**

…

The incessant beeping of my alarm wakes me. I fumble for it, and when I feel the smooth plastic, I curl my fingers around it and hurl it away from me without lifting my head from the pillow. I hear a yelp and resolve not to throw my clock in the direction of Hayner's bed anymore.

"Sorry, Hayner," I say over his muffled cursing, blearily rubbing my eyes as I sit up. "Bad habit."

"Fuck… whutimezit?" Hayner asks. I shrug, but he's not looking at me.

"I dunno. You have the clock." I stumble out of bed, not used to the longer distance from the floor. Hayner's looking at the clock, puzzled by the analog face. He glances at me, then back at the clock in his hands, shrugs, and throws it at my head. "Ow! Fuck, Hayner, at least when I threw it at you it was an accident!"

"S'only seven, you fucktard. I'm going back to bed." I shake my head as Hayner rolls over, dragging the covers over his face. Gloomily, I pick up my alarm clock from the floor and place it gently on my bedside table. Glaring at my roommate one more time, I change into some decent clothes and wander into the floor common room with a book in hand.

Demyx wanders in about an hour later, bleary-eyed and stumbling. His room connects to our common room.

"Morning, Demyx," I say quietly. The RA nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Ah, Roxy!" Demyx says, smiling through a yawn. I twitch at the name, but don't say anything about it. He bounds over and sits on the couch next to me. "You're up early. You gonna play today? Hide and seek!" I shrug. Hide and seek isn't really my thing. I had a bad experience with it as a kid – I wasn't the most popular, so whenever I tried to play, I was (as a penalty to join the game) nominated as "It". And, of course, I was slightly sickly as a child, much too slow to tag any of the other kids. And never mind if another kid joined – the others were just fine with keeping me as It, because they always won anyway. (1)

Kids are cruel.

Demyx is frowning. "Ah, come on, Roxy! Hide and seek is the best game ever!"

"Sorry, Demyx, I don't like it all that much…" Demyx is giving me a Look now – _you_ know the kind – the manipulative "I'm-going-to-cry-and-be-honestly-depressed-if-you-don't-play-with-me" Look. The kicked puppy Look. I'm teetering on the edge of giving in when I'm interrupted.

"Morning." My whole body spasms involuntarily in annoyance at the sound of the voice.

Axel. That bastard.

"Morning, Ax! How'd you sleep?" Demyx is chirpy now, so I figure it's safe to ignore the RAs now and return to my book.

"Terribly. And now I'm starving. Roxy, go get me breakfast," Axel says, flopping onto the couch between me and Demyx and throwing his arms over our shoulders. I glare at him out of the corner of my eye. When I don't move, Axel pouts at me. "Ugh, fine. Simon says go get me breakfast." I slam my book shut and glance at my watch, hoping I can avoid doing it by claiming it's outside of game hours. Alas, it's 9:05 – well within the boundaries.

"Whatever," I spit out, storming out of the room down to the cafeteria. Once out of sight of the arrogant bastard, I smirk.

He said to get him breakfast.

I'll get him fucking breakfast, all right.

Forty minutes later, I walk back into the common room, holding a bowl in one hand. Axel and Demyx are still sitting on the couch, Demyx chuckling and Axel fidgeting.

"Here," I say blandly, depositing the bowl on the coffee table in front of the redhead, who appears to be a bit ticked off. I start walking back to my room, but I'm interrupted by Axel's miffed objection.

"What the fuck took so long?" he snaps. "I'm starving, here!"

"I decided to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. It's actually pretty nice in there," I say nonchalantly, looking over my shoulder with an angelic smile. Demyx snorts, covering his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing at the openmouthed expression on Axel's face. Axel snaps his mouth shut into a sullen pout, and reaches for the bowl.

He opens his mouth to say something, closes it again, and gives me a confused look.

"And what the fuck is _this_?"

"Plain porridge," I say loftily. Don't you dare laugh, Roxas. I mean it. You'll ruin it if you laugh.

"Plai– _what_?" Demyx's face is turning red as he holds his breath to keep from laughing out loud, pounding his fist into the sofa repeatedly.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you had any allergies or if you were vegetarian or something, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with porridge," I reply, smiling brightly. "Enjoy!" Axel splutters as I saunter into my room.

"I – bu – you – !" I shut the door behind me, listening to Axel's outrage with satisfaction. "Ro_xy_! There's no fucking _spoon_!"

Demyx apparently can't stand to spare Axel's pride a moment longer and explodes into laughter.

…

I glare at my supposed best friend as he cackles at me, and then at the bowl of glop in my hands. It seems Roxy's got some fire in him – and he's tricky. I'll have to word my orders more carefully from now on.

Demyx is still giggling. I smirk slightly, and dump the contents of the bowl on his head. Amid the livid cries of 'Axel, I _just_ washed my hair, you jerk!', I rise from the couch and head out to get myself some real breakfast. Something with meat in it. And lots of ketchup.

I spot Xemnas a moment too late to avoid him. He stalks over to me, looking like a storm cloud ready to spout lightning.

"Axel," he says, voice soft. Now, with normal people, a soft voice means that the conversation is a pleasant one. With Xemnas, it's a danger sign.

"He-hey, Xemmy," I stutter, wincing as my voice cracks.

"Xigbar tells me that Simon Says game is still running." It's a simple statement, conversational, but it sounds like a court summons to my ears.

"Only one person left in the game," I reply.

"Is that so."

"Uh, y-yeah. I can get him out soon. Just got to order him around a bit more, you know? He'll get tired of it and give up," I justify myself nervously.

"You had better, Axel," Xemnas purrs. And there's the verdict. "Or else." Aaaand the sentence. Oh dear.

"Sure thing, Xemmy!" I say with an attempt at cheerfulness. It sounds weak even to my ears. "I'll see you later, then!" I walk away quickly. Anyone who tells you I am scurrying is a damned liar.

The confrontation with Xemnas makes me realize that I need to devise some strategy to get Roxas to give in, because I definitely don't have 500 munny.

…

It is six in the evening, which marks the eighth consecutive hour that I have managed to avoid that redheaded freak. I consider it a great success. I'm lounging around in the common room on the opposite wing of my floor – the girls' suite – watching some girly reality show marathons with my newfound friend, Namine.

Hey, avoiding Axel is worth sitting through hours on end of Hollow Bastion's Next Top Model.

Really. It is.

Probably.

I'm listening to Namine and the other girls in her suite (some girls named Kairi and Selphie) make catty remarks about the model who won the "challenge" of the episode ("_Honestly_, Yuna _so _should have won that one!" "I know, right? Dona is such a bitch! She'll never make it past the next elimination.") when there's a knock on the common room door. Suddenly the girls are engaged by the next photoshoot, and Namine's making shooing motions at me.

"Could you get the door, please, Roxas?" I give her a Look, which she doesn't notice because her eyes are glued to the TV. Sighing, I drag myself to my feet and slouch over to the front door, yawning as I open it.

"So this is where you've been hiding, eh Roxy?"

I stare at the tall RA standing on the other side of the threshold, smirking at me. Belatedly, I think to slam the door on his face, but apparently this thought shows on my face, because Axel chuckles and puts a hand on the door to prevent such an action. He leans through the door to glance at the girls watching TV.

"Hey, ladies, Welcome Week Hide-and-Seek starts soon. You coming?"

"Nah, we're not even breathing heavily," Selphie chirps immediately. Axel laughs at the innuendo.

He has a nice laugh.

I so did not just think that. I will never watch girly TV again – it's affecting my mental monologue. His laugh is actually sinister and insane-sounding. Really. It gives me the shivers.

And by that, I mean it is creepy and grating, not pleasant with undertones of eroticism.

"Seriously, though, Axel, I don't think we can tear ourselves away – Top Model's getting cutthroat!" Kairi chimes in.

"Yeah, Tifa just totally dissed Dona – she's definitely going to pay for that sooner or later!" Namine says. Sweet, sweet Nami. An excuse to keep away from Axel!

"That's really too bad," Axel says, though I'm certain he has no idea what they're talking about. "Surely, you can spare Roxy, though, right?" I shoot Axel a wide-eyed glance, and then stare pleadingly at Namine.

Nami, my darling, my angel! You wouldn't throw me to the wolves, would you? You're a kind, kind soul – generous and caring and –

Namine tears her eyes away from the screen, takes in my pleading look, and smiles sweetly.

"Of course! I'm sure he's bored to tears by our Top Model marathon." My lower right eyelid twitches involuntarily.

"Great! Come on, Roxy!" Axel says, grabbing my wrist. I don't budge, narrowing my eyes at him. He pauses and tilts his head to the side, inspecting me. He smirks suddenly. "Fine then, if you want to play it that way. Simon says come and play hide-and-seek with us." I glare, knowing I have no choice if I want to win the game.

"Don't make him _come_ too hard, Axel. He's still got that 'innocent virgin' air to him, and we like him that way," Kairi giggles. I give her a betrayed and outraged glare as Axel laughs uproariously.

"No worries, I'll make sure he enjoys it," Axel replies, leering it me. "The hide-and-seek game, of course," he amends as he drags me from the girls' common room.

One arm slung around my shoulders, he leads me to the Green, where the masses are congregating around a picnic table. One of the RAs – a blonde girl named Lark-something-or-other – is standing on the picnic table and yelling for everyone to settle down. She finally gets silence as Axel and I approach.

"All right, munchkins," the girl says, inspecting her fingernails for damage, "my name's Larxene, and I'm one of the Neverland Hall RAs." She pauses for the cheers from the Neverland residents, who seem to worship her. Most of them are boys, I note. "Right. So we're supposed to be playing hide-and-seek. Well, I say screw that. We're playing Sardines."

Most of the crowd is confused, but I can feel the blood rushing from my face as I think about the horror that is Sardines. It's another game I played as a child, the exact inverse of Sardines: one person hides, the rest look for him, and the first person to find him is the next "It" and hides with him until the rest of the seekers find the hiding spot, packing in as close together as they can get – hence the name "Sardines".

Only when I got to be hider, the other kids would quickly abandon the game and wander off to play four-square or something, leaving me in my hiding place wondering when they were going to find me.

I'm snapped out of my reverie by Axel raising my hand in the air.

"Roxy wants to be It!" he proclaims childishly. Evidently, while I was remembering some of the most traumatic moments of my childhood, Larxene had explained the game and asked for someone to be the hider. I give him a horrified glare as Larxene approves the choice. Axel smirks at me.

"Okay, kiddo, you have two minutes to hide. You can't go into private dorm rooms or leave the res hall area," Larxene says, smiling wickedly. "We'll start the time in thirty seconds, seekers close your eyes! Anyone caught peeking gets tasered." The seekers quickly hide their eyes, including an amused Axel. Larxene smirks at me. "Aaaand, GO."

I stand stock-still for a moment, and then bolt – my Simon Says game is at stake, here. I first head behind one of the res halls, and then pause to think. My eyes trace the surroundings, looking for anywhere to hide. I linger for a moment by one of the dumpsters, and then wrinkle my nose and move on. At last, my eyes alight on the top of the buildings. There is a ladder at the very top of the staircase that leads to the roof – it's been generally assumed that we're not allowed to go up there, but no one has said that we _couldn't_.

I hesitate, and then race to the rooftop of Atlantica Hall. There's not too much usable space up here, but it should hold at least a few people. I just barely make it up and tuck myself into a corner when I hear the stirring of the group on the Green. I can't make out any of the words, but I can hear Larxene's sadistic cackling loud and clear.

I hate this game.

I wait for about five minutes before I hear the sounds of someone climbing the ladder. I hold my breath and screw my eyes shut, trying to make myself as small and quiet as possible.

It doesn't work, I realize and I hear an all-too-familiar chuckle.

"Good spot, Roxy," Axel says. My eyes fly open and a glare at my tormentor/RA. His nose is inches from mine, and suddenly the rooftop seems a lot smaller. My throat is dry, and I have to swallow a few times before I can speak.

"Do the words 'personal space' mean _anything_ to you, you asshole?" His chuckle is vaguely husky. I frown and scooch away.

"Only if they have the words 'please invade my' in front of them," Axel replies, moving closer again.

"How did you find me so fast, anyway?" I snap, still moving away as fast as I can.

"I cheated, duh," Axel says. I roll my eyes.

"Of course." Axel moves closer, and I notice that he's got me cornered. Suddenly his face is next to mine, his mouth by my ear.

"Simon says sit still, Roxy." The warm puff of air that hits my ear sends shivers down my spine. I don't know what this jerk is trying to pull, but I'm sure it's not good.

"Stop it," I growl, but I remain still. Axel draws back slightly with a self-satisfied grin on his lips.

"You could always give up," Axel says. I scoff. Of course, he's just trying to get me flustered enough to disobey orders.

"Fat chance," I say, narrowing my eyes. Axel's grin widens, and then he starts to draw in again – probably to issue another order – when the trapdoor over the ladder opens. Axel moves away with a pout and a glare at Demyx, who smiles in victory upon finding the hiding place. I sigh in relief, and can't help but notice that my heart is beating a mile a minute.

…..

A bit shorter than the last, but no one likes Tuesdays anyway.

(1) This actually happened to me and is the reason I hated my girl scout troop in elementary school. -.- Unlike Roxy, though, I still love hide-and-seek.

The goal was to get all of this out by Fall quarter – I've still got a month, but we'll see. ;)

The website for the college is (remove spaces): http : / / roosevelt . ucsd . edu / residencelife

To be continued in **"Wednesday: I Never"**

(and please review :D )


	3. Wednesday: I Never

**Title:** Simon Says

**Summary:** Seven-Shot. College welcome week was never this much fun. AkuRoku

**Rating:** T for offensive language and adult situations

**Disclaimer: **Not my sandbox. I just play in it.

**Dedicated to: **My clone/former roommate Becky, because she's back in town.

**Warning:** Axel has a potty mouth when he's tired.

…..

**Wednesday: I Never**

…

Riddle me this: why is it that of all of the RAs in Traverse Town U, the only what that follows the stereotype of being a preppy fuck is the one that I am stuck with?

It's eight o'clock in the morning on Wednesday – an entire hour before I can order Roxy to go get me a coffee – and Demyx is jumping up and down on my bed (with me still in it), badgering me about the next Welcome Week game. Apparently, it's a Res Hall Evening, one of two this week, which means Dem and I have to come up with something "fun" to do before seven tonight.

"Ax, what do you think we should do? It should be awesome, but not too awesome, you know? We wanna save the best for last, and it's only Wednesday and…" I groan to myself as Demyx chatters on, oblivious to my suffering. After a few moments I snap and push him off the bed.

"Fuck's sake, Dem, we've got almost half a day to plan the fucking thing. Let me get some fucking sleep." Demyx looks up at me from the floor with teary eyes and a quivering lip. I've seen it a million times before, so it doesn't faze me in the least. When it becomes apparent that his attempt to garner sympathy has failed, Demyx stands up and dusts himself off, before moving to the door.

"Fine, but you'd better be up and brainstorming with me by ten, or else!"

"Or else what?" I shoot back, my voice muffled by the pillow that I've buried my face in.

"Or else I'll tell Xemmy that Roxy's still in the game."

Goddamnit.

I roll over as I hear the door shut, staring at the ceiling for a moment. Demyx is such a… nuisance. Especially after last night. I almost had Roxy then – just the two of us on the rooftop. If Demyx hadn't interrupted, one of two things would have happened: Roxy would have disobeyed orders, thus yielding to my superiority and losing the game, or I would have successfully seduced him and gotten laid. Win-win.

Roxy's stubbornness is really starting to get on my nerves. It's been two days – with any normal person, I'd have them bedded and kicked them to the curb by now. With Roxy, I can't even seem to get a proper grope in.

Heaving a sigh, I drag myself out of bed and throw on a set of clothes (it doesn't really matter what, I look hot in everything) before walking across the hall to the common room affixed to Demyx's room. Demyx is inside chattering at Roxy, who appears to be trying to read. Some blond, spiky-haired freshman is sitting next to Roxy and looking lost as Demyx chatters.

"Shouldn't you have planned this earlier?" the blond kid asks Demyx.

"I _did_, but Xemnas won't let us have the fireworks! The fireworks were essential!" Demyx wails. I grimace. If he hadn't _told_ Xemnas our little plan included fireworks, we wouldn't be in this mess. It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission, et cetera. I see Roxy relax visibly as Demyx and Blond Kid start chattering to one another. Smiling slyly, I creep up behind him as he sits on the sofa, absorbed in his book.

"Whatcha reading, Roxy?" I whisper into his ear. He jumps about a mile into the air.

"Fuck," he hisses, glaring at me. I leer at him.

"Was that an invitation?"

There's something very satisfying about the way his blood rushes to his face.

"It's not nine o'clock yet, so you have no reason to pester me," he says, turning away from me and burying his nose in his book again. I huff at being ignored and perk up at the direction Demyx and the Blond Kid's conversation has wandered in.

"I've always wanted to learn how to play a drinking game," the Blond Kid is saying. Demyx appears thoughtful.

"I guess we could do something like that. No alcohol obviously, cause you're all underage. But we could turn it into a "get to know you" sort of thing."

"I like that idea," I chime in, an idea stirring in my head. "Let's play 'I Never.'" Demyx smiles in relief.

"Great! I think we have some fake kegs with root beer in them in storage somewhere."

"I'll get the root beer, you get the cups, okay Dem?" I volunteer nonchalantly. Demyx is beaming now. I almost feel bad for the stunt I'm going to pull.

Almost.

"I'll let everyone know to be in the big common room downstairs at eight," Demyx says excitedly as I rise from the couch and wander off to find the root beer kegs. And a bit of vodka to spike it with.

…

I've been hanging out with Hayner most of the day. He's pretty fun to be around – a walking contradiction. He acts tough, but he's got a soft streak a mile wide. He's been helping me hide from Axel after I told him what a pain in the ass the RA has been.

Figurative pain in the ass, that is. Definitely not literal. I'm shuddering just thinking about how that could be interpreted literally.

Anyway, now it's eight in the evening (almost the twelfth consecutive hour I've avoided the redheaded bane of my existence), and Hayner is headed out to play 'I Never' with the rest of the res hall. I've decided to stay in my room.

I'm definitely not hiding.

"You sure you don't want to come with, Roxas?" Hayner asks from the doorway, looking back at me with concern. Probably because I'm crouched behind my desk in such a position that I can't be seen from the outside. It's not the most comfortable, but it ensures that any redheads passing by will not notice my presence.

"Positive. Go have fun." Hayner shakes his head and closes the door. Sighing with relief, I emerge from behind my desk and saunter over to my iPod and speakers, setting it to shuffle. I settle down on my bed with a book and begin to read as a Nine Inch Nails song starts to play. I'm just getting comfortable when there's a knock at my door. I glance to Hayner's side of the room and my eyes find his room keys sitting on his bedside table.

Huffing, I set down my book and swipe Hayner's keys from the table, before walking over to the door and opening it wide, intending to take Hayner to task for forgetting his keys.

My eyes meet those of the person on the other side of the door, but instead of the sheepish chocolate brown I was expecting, they are – you guessed it – mischievous emerald green.

I can feel the blood draining from my face as I stare at him. And then it rushes all back as one of his eyebrows quirk at the song that's blaring from my speakers.

_…help me get away from myself. I wanna fuck you like an animal… I wanna feel you from the inside…_

Not for the first time, I curse my music collection. Axel's grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Evening, Roxy," he says cheerfully, as if I don't have raunchy sex music playing in the background. I narrow my eyes.

"I thought you were Hayner. Leave now." I start to close the door, but predictably, he sticks his foot in the way.

"Ah, ah, ah, Roxy. Simon says come play 'I Never' with the rest of us." Damn, not fast enough. I shoot death at him with my eyes before stomping over to my iPod and turning off the music, then storming past him out of the room and downstairs to the res hall common room. I can hear him sauntering behind me.

We're the last to enter the common room for the game it seems, as Demyx is already dishing out cups of root beer and explaining the rules.

"All right, guys," he says as he hands me a plastic cup, "we'll go around in a circle and each person tells us something they've never done. Anyone who's done that thing takes a sip. The person who has the most root beer left after we've gone around the circle a couple times wins." I walk off to sit next to Hayner and much to my dismay, Axel follows.

The game starts off with Demyx, who chimes that he "never burned down a building." Next to me, Axel chuckles and takes a sharp swig. I edge away from him slightly. I don't have to drink until the fifth or sixth person, who "never had a sibling." I take a sip, and almost spit it out.

Now, most people would think I'm relatively innocent compared to others my age – it's the baby blue eyes – but I've been to my fair share of parties, and I've become rather adept at detecting foreign substances in my drinks. I can't hold my liquor all that well, but I can definitely tell when someone has spiked the punch. Or in this case, the root beer. My eyes dart to Demyx, who is already taking his sixth gulp and looks vaguely unsteady. He's not too likely a candidate to slip vodka into the keg. Axel, on the other hand…

It's his turn, and he seems to be hell-bent on getting Demyx drunk off his ass. "I never played a sitar." Demyx gives a bleary chuckle and downs the rest of his cup in one gulp before sloppily pouring himself another cup. There's silence for a moment before I realize it's my turn. I glare at Axel.

"I never spiked the root beer when we're supposed to be playing _non-alcoholic_ drinking games," I grumble. Looks of comprehension grace the faces of majority of the other students as Axel raises his plastic cup to me and takes a long sip. Hayner's laughing like an idiot beside me – he's one of the many (like Demyx and me) who can't drink anyone under the table.

"Yeah, well I never gave anyone head," Hayner says, giving a pervy grin to some girls nearby. Only a few of them drink, blushing furiously, but I freeze, and then flinchingly take a sip. I can feel eyes on me, particularly Axel's, but well… if I have to play the game, I might as well play it honestly.

I know half of you are probably freaking out. Well, I did tell you, didn't I? I'm not as innocent as I seem. And yes, there may have been one time during high school that I made a poor decision as to who I dated. It wasn't a good relationship. I never looked at another person after Seifer. It's too easy for them to hurt me, I guess, if you want the simple reason.

If you want the complicated reason, you're going to need to get me a bit more drunk.

…

It's midnight and the game is winding down. Most of the little froshies are slightly tipsy and giggling at each other as they head back to their dorm rooms. I'm more concerned with my favorite little wet dream, who's curled into my side and drunk off his ass.

The game stopped being fun after Roxy's asswipe of a roommate made his ill-chosen statement. I honestly don't know why I'm reacting this way. Normally, the fact that Roxy'd been in a relationship with another man wouldn't bother me in the slightest. It wouldn't change the fact that I'd get him in bed with me eventually. It's just… the look on his face as he took the drink – and as he kept drinking after that – was heartbreaking.

Tch. This is too sappy for me.

Roxy shifts against my side as I attempt to stand both of us up. Hangovers are easier to bear in a soft, warm bed, so it's probably a good idea to get the little blond kid back to his room. Roxy lurches, giggling.

"Everything's all move-y…" he slurs. "Heh heh… when'd we get on the boat?"

"We're not on a boat, Roxy, you're just drunk," I explain patiently. I've dealt with a lot of drunkards in the past, but Roxy is by far the most different from his sober self.

"Hah, tha's – tha's rahdiculous!" Roxy says. "How wou'd I get drunk?"

"You started cheating at 'I Never,'" I say as I lead him to the stairs. It's a daunting task, getting the inebriated blond all the way up four flights of stairs. My explanation sends Roxy into another fit of giggles.

"Doan be silly! I dun cheat!"

"You drank at 'I never never had blond hair.' You definitely cheated." Roxy seems to laugh even harder at that.

"Why'd I do that?"

"Hell if I know. You seemed to get crabby after drinking to the fact that you gave a guy a blow job." Roxy's laughs die out slowly as we make it to the second floor landing.

"H'oh yeah…" He trails off a bit. "I doan like thinkin' 'bout it. I di'n' wanna, but Seifer said he'd stop lovin' me if I di'n'." I pause, staring at the little blond. Roxy's gone quiet now, and the expression on his face is sad. "He stopped anyway, though, 'cause Imma guy. I think he's datin' Fuu now. She di'n' like me much." After moment, he looks up at me. "If I gave you a blow job, wou' you love me?"

His eyes are achingly hopeful, and I have to swallow several times before I can speak again.

"I don't think that's how it works, Roxas," I say softly. He gives me a confused look as I swing him up into my arms and carry him the rest of the way upstairs, using one of the keys in his pocket to open his door. I set him on the bed, his keys on the desk, and walk back outside, shutting the door behind me.

I'm sleeping alone tonight, and Roxas probably won't remember anything in the morning.

…..

Well, today is the last day of my summer – classes begin tomorrow. That also means it's Welcome Week, and I've failed in my mission to complete the entire fic. Ah well, I'll get it done before next Welcome Week. Still a relatively short chapter, but eh. I said what I needed to. This is also a bit darker than I intended it to be… think I should up the rating?

Ah yes. I don't own NIN's "Closer."

Til next time in **Thursday: Capture the Flag**. (Among other things)

Review please? (With a cherry and sprinkles and Akuroku plushies on top?)

(edit 9/25/08, major typo fixed)


	4. Thursday: Capture the Flag

**Title:** Simon Says

**Summary:** Seven-Shot. College welcome week was never this much fun. AkuRoku

**Rating:** T+ for offensive language and adult situations

**Disclaimer: **Not my sandbox. I just play in it.

…..

**Thursday: Capture the Flag**

…

The sensation of waking up to a hangover is a familiar one for me. That's probably Seifer's fault. Usually, it's a headache accompanied by an aching jaw (Seifer's fault), an awful taste in my mouth (also Seifer's fault), and a sore back from falling asleep on the floor (partially Seifer's fault). I don't really get nauseous, for some reason, thankfully. This time is slightly different, though. It's okay, as far as hangovers go. No after-effects of giving Seifer… well… you know. And I'm in a bed, mine, judging from the familiar feel of the sheets…

How… how did I get back to my room?

I open my eyes and wince at the sunlight peeking past the blinds. Gingerly, trying not to jar my head too much, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. Hayner is missing – probably passed out somewhere in the main common room, shitfaced.

Axel's fault. _This_ hangover is _Axel's_ fault.

Okay, think, Roxas. What happened last night? Axel spiked the root beer. Then what? Something Hayner said… something that embarrassed all the girls. And me. Something perverted. Something that reminded me of Seifer… blow jobs. Ick. I drank to that one. After that… it's kind of hazy. Something about a boat? No… Axel said we weren't on a boat. So how did I get back upsta…?

Oh no.

Oooooh no. It's coming back to me now. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my memory. It's nearly photographic. At times like this, though, I'd really rather be amnesiac.

Shit. I propositioned him, didn't I? Damn it. He's never going to let me live that one down. I really don't want to face the world today. Groaning, I glance at my clock, which reads nine o'clock AM. It won't be long before Axel comes knocking at my door, demanding coffee or something. The bastard. Maybe I should just give this up. It's not like Axel plays fair.

Sure enough, as I stare blearily into space, hating the world and the way Hayner never makes his bed, there's a knock on my door.

I'll have to face him sometime.

I heave myself up off the bed and shuffle to the door, lethargically pulling it open.

"Not today, please?" I slur, blinking up at my tormentor, who – incidentally – doesn't look that torment-y right now. In fact, he looks kind of… concerned?

"You lightweight," Axel says with a roll of his eyes. He shoves a glass in my hand. I look down at it curiously, and wish I hadn't.

"The fuck is this?"

"One banana, a can of V-8, six strawberries, a cup of orange juice, a cup of milk, salt, nutmeg, and some honey." I stare at him.

"Uh…?"

"It's a hangover cure, Roxy," Axel explains calmly. "Drink up." I am totally at a loss here – for words, for thoughts, whatever.

"This looks disgusting. Wouldn't coffee work better?"

"Clearly, you need to take a class on nutrition. A hangover is caused by dehydration. Coffee dehydrates you. For fuck's sake, Roxy, Simon says _drink_." I eye the concoction suspiciously, sigh, and knock back a gulp. It tastes awful.

"Clearly, _you_ need to take a class on cooking," I grumble. Axel looks put out.

"It's not supposed to taste good. Hurry up and finish drinking, then get some sleep." Okay, seriously. What's with him today? No witty byplay? No arrogant orders? No unwelcome sexual advances? I must be giving him an odd look, because he huffs. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Why are you being so nice today?" I ask. Axel raises an extremely thin eyebrow.

"I'm always nice, Roxy. Now, Simon says finish drinking that shit and get your ass into bed. Demyx is planning _something_ for the afternoon, and I refuse to suffer through it by myself."

"So, you're just being nice to me because you want me serve your every whim later? Typical." Axel's eyes narrow.

"Yeah, I'm just being nice to you because I need someone to slave away for me, and you're most convenient. It couldn't _possibly_ be because I value you as a person and feel bad for letting you get drunk." He sounds… angry. I'm staring at him again. I think I'm gaping, actually. Like a slack-jawed idiot. Axel looks away from me. "Tch. Whatever. You have five seconds to get working on that order, kid. I'll be back around noon." He walks away before I can reply.

I've got half a mind to yell at him to come face me like a man, but that would make my head hurt even worse. And yeah, it's just my head. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach must be nausea from the hangover.

I know, I said I don't usually get sick with hangovers. Shut up.

…

Demyx is giving me an odd look as I stalk into the RA meeting room. It's mostly deserted, as there isn't an official meeting at the moment, but there are a few others hanging around. Demyx seems to have been in the middle of a conversation with Xigbar and Luxord, the RAs for Port Royal Hall.

"What?" I growl at him, in response to his expression.

"Nothin'," Demyx replies sulkily, giving me a disapproving glare. "You just seem upset."

"I'm not fucking upset," I snap, throwing myself into one of the overstuffed armchairs that litter the RA meeting room. I can see Luxord and Xigbar shifting uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye. There's an awkward pause before Xigbar picks up their conversation again.

"Anyway, you can't play Capture the Flag, Dem," Xigbar says. "Lux and I already decided on that. Why don't you do karaoke or something?" Demyx pouts at him.

"Karaoke is too expensive… I already spent most of Atlantica's budget on our prizes for the Hall event tomorrow night!" I roll my eyes. Demyx does too much crap without consulting me first.

"Well, you're fucked then, aren't you, dude?" Demyx's pout intensifies and Xigbar and Luxord exchange alarmed glances. The saps. Demyx knows he can get just about anyone to do just about anything if he pouts the right way.

"What do I do?" Demyx cries, injecting a slight tremor into his voice. "All the residents are going to be so disappointed… I'm a failure…" He's really going for it, crocodile tears and everything. I'd be impressed if I didn't hate the world right now.

"Chill out, dude!" Xigbar says frantically, waving his arms slightly in Demyx's direction, as if considering and reconsidering giving him a hug. "We'll work it out, don't cry! Hey, how 'bout we both play Capture the Flag? Your hall against ours." Demyx sniffles.

"R-really?" he asks, looking at Xigbar with glistening eyes. "You mean it?"

"Absolutely!" Xigbar says, sighing in relief as Demyx perks up.

"In fact," Luxord offers, "why don't we make this more… interesting?" Crap. The compulsive gambler strikes again.

"What do you mean?" Demyx asks, cocking his head to the side.

"Loser of the game pays for the winning hall to have a karaoke night tonight," Luxord says with a smirk. Demyx reflects for a moment. I want to tell him that this is an awful idea, but that would mean talking, and I'm too annoyed to speak right now.

"Okay!" Demyx chirps. Kill me now. Luxord and Xigbar smile – kind of viciously.

"It's settled then. On the Green, three PM," Luxord says. The Port Royal duo leaves the room, ostensibly to prepare their hall for the competition. Once we hear the door close, Demyx turns to me.

"What did you say to Roxy that made him get angry with you?" he asks accusatorily. I snarl and turn away from him. "Come on, Ax, I know this is about him."

"I didn't say anything, all right? I was fucking nice to him. He's the one with the attitude problem!" I say. I can hear Demyx sigh.

"You confused him, didn't you? You can't blame him, Ax. You _are_ a pervert who only wants in his pants." I shoot him a look over my shoulder.

"How do you know that? I never told you that." Demyx rolls his eyes.

"I may be a little airheaded sometimes, Axel, but I'm not _blind_, for Christ's sake. Pestering him all the time about joining in our little games? And don't think I didn't notice you practically dry-humping him on the rooftop on Tuesday." I shift guiltily. I guess I do take Demyx's denseness for granted sometimes. "But don't you think it's for the best that he stays away from you? You have a history, you know."

"I don't want to fuck him, Demyx."

"Bullshit," he says, eyes narrow.

"Okay, maybe I did. Can you blame me? He's sex on legs. But it took too long." It did. It took far too long – too long thinking about how much I want him moaning my name. Too long wondering how to make him give in. Too long chasing after him.

"So… you lost interest?" Demyx asks. He looks understandably confused. This isn't normal for me.

"No."

"You didn't lose interest… but you don't want to fuck him?"

"That's right."

"I don't get it." I whirl around and glare at him.

"Goddamnit, Dem, do I have to fucking spell it out for you? I'm in too fucking deep. Even if I screwed his brains out right here and now, it wouldn't be enough, do you get that? It wouldn't get him out of my head like the rest of them."

There is a long silence – the only sound is my labored breathing. Dem is inspecting me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You're falling for him," Demyx says after a moment, a note of wonder in his voice. I freeze.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dem," I say softly, standing. I can't look him in the eye. "Look, I have to – uh – go pay my credit card bills. I'll see you at the game." As I march myself from the room, Demyx calls after me.

"For what it's worth, Axel, I'm glad you're finally growing up."

I pretend I didn't hear.

…

I wake up to the sound of Hayner rummaging through one of his dresser drawers. The sun is relatively high in the sky, beams somehow finding their way through the blinds and into my eyes. I sigh and fidget, and Hayner pauses in his rummaging.

"Roxas? You 'wake?"

"Mm-hmm," I grunt, pulling myself into a sitting position. "Time?"

"Almost three," Hayner says. "We're playing Neverland Hall in Capture the Flag in about ten minutes. Winner gets karaoke night or something like that." I blink as my eyes adjust to the waking world.

"Three?" I murmur out loud to myself. I pause to think why this sounds so wrong to me. It hits me after a moment: Axel was supposed to wake me up three hours ago. I feel something uncomfortable stirring in the pit of my stomach – concern? I extricate myself from my sheets and stumble over to my own dresser, throwing a pair of dark-wash jeans (best to avoid grass stains) and a black t-shirt on my bed.

"Yeah," Hayner is saying as I pull off the shirt I wore to bed and replace it with the new one. "You really slept in. I figured after the way you were plastered last night you'd have a hangover. How's the head?"

I blink. Aside from the occasional (bearable) twinge of pain, my head is absolutely normal. Axel's hangover cure actually worked.

"Fine, actually," I say, resolving to research hangover cures on the web so I can avoid them in the future. Or I could take a nutrition class.

… Or maybe I could ask Axel… unlikely.

"You haven't happened to see the redheaded freak around lately, have you?" I ask Hayner nonchalantly. He gives me a dubious glance.

"Uh, let's see… I thought I saw him go and hole himself up in his room a few hours ago. Looked kinda out of it. I figure he's sleeping off a hangover. Good for you, though, man, a day of freedom." I grunt in acknowledgement as I pull on my jeans. Okay, yes, now I'm concerned. Especially since the last time I talked to Axel, he was in no way suffering from a hangover. And he was annoyed with me.

Yes, I know I don't like the guy. But there's always been some part of me that cares what other people think about me, even if I hate their guts. Screwing up my courage, I leave the room to go and find him.

As I approach his room, I notice Demyx standing outside the door, knocking. Well, pounding. I've never seen him angry before, and never imagined I would, but the expression on his face is thunderous.

"Axel! Come on, we've got to go help Xigbar and Luxord set up! Stop acting like a kid and get out here!" I hide myself out of sight around the corner, listening. Axel's reply is muffled, but still carries a hint of annoyance.

"I'm not fucking going, Dem! Just leave me alone!" I frown slightly as Demyx makes a frustrated noise. I can hear angry footsteps – the other RA evidently has had enough. I peek around the corner just in time to see Demyx storming out of the common room.

Once I'm sure he's gone, I knock on Axel's door softly. I cringe as Axel starts growling again.

"For the last _fucking_ time, Demyx! I'm not –" I scramble backward as Axel wrenches his door open, pausing in his tirade as he realizes that I am not, in fact, Demyx. "…going. Roxas. What do you want?"

When did he stop calling me Roxy? I fumble for words a bit.

"Uh… To – to say sorry, I guess, for being such an ungrateful brat earlier. And thank you. For the hangover cure, I mean. It – it worked really well." I stand for a moment, staring at my feet and shuffling. I look up, and Axel's giving me a strange look. I look away awkwardly. "Well, I'm gonna go play Capture the Flag. I'll see you la –"

"Simon says come in and take a seat, Roxy. We're going to talk." I gulp, taking in Axel's cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. Damn it. Why did I go looking for him again?

…

He fidgets as he moves across the threshold and into my room. I close the door behind him, watching his eyes dart around for an exit. He hesitates, and then lowers himself into the chair at my desk, perching on the edge of the seat as if it's going to come alive and bite him.

"Comfy, Roxy?" I ask with a leer. He narrows his eyes at me. "The bed is more comfortable, you know."

"Fuck off," Roxas snaps.

"That would be the idea." His face is turning red. I'm guessing it's out of anger more than embarrassment.

"Why is it always sex with you?" he asks, hands tightening into fists on his knees. My smirk drops as I examine him for a moment, slowly making my way over to the chair to stand in front of him.

"Is that why you always run away?" I lean forward and grip the chair's armrests, looking him in the eye. "'Cause you think all I want is sex?" He draws back a little, swallowing.

"Isn't it?" Roxas asks accusingly. His voice has a slight wavering quality, as if he's not quite sure of the answer himself.

God knows I'm not.

"It might be," I say noncommittally. "But you can't know that for sure, can you?"

"Of course it is," Roxas snaps, standing up and pushing me away from him. "Every time we're alone you try to sexually harass me!"

"Every time?" I ask coolly. His accusations are starting to get on my nerves. He pushes past me, so that I'm not blocking his exit route.

"Yes! Don't think I didn't notice you undressing me with your eyes the first time we met! And one the rooftop – "

"So last night was… what?" I interrupt. He freezes. "If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one coming on to _me_."

"Th-that – "

"If I was so dead-set on fucking you into next week, wouldn't I have taken advantage of that?" He seems to be at a loss for words, staring at me like I'd sprouted an extra head.

"…Why didn't you… why… Seifer would have…" he mumbles to himself, shaking his head in confusion. He stumbles backwards, not looking at me any more, and gropes for the doorknob.

I let him go.

Hours pass. Atlantica loses the Capture the Flag game and has to pay for Port Royal's karaoke party. Demyx is paying for it out of his own pocket, because he already bought the prize for tomorrow's Res-Hall event.

Roxas is hidden away for the rest of the night, and I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

…..

Eh-heh. Wow, been a while, no? Here's a new chapter for you. It was gonna be longer, but I changed my mind about what events were going to happen, and well…

Hey, it's longer than Chapter 3.

Um, so here's why it's late: I had about a billion research essays to write last quarter (okay, four.), then friend drama (now ex-friend), then I got a job at Borders during the Christmas rush (which was basically an hour less than full-time so they didn't have to give me benefits), then I got back to school, still had my job, volunteered to tutor at my old high school, volunteered to co-chair a casino night / dance, and decided to apply to study abroad in Japan. Again.

And now I've been laid off until payroll picks up again. v_v I hate the economy.

Oh well. See you next time in **Friday: Park Bench**.

(Reviews cheer me up. *kicked-puppy eyes*)


	5. Friday: Park Bench

**Title:** Simon Says

**Summary:** Seven-Shot. College welcome week was never this much fun. AkuRoku

**Rating:** T+ for offensive language and adult situations

**Disclaimer: **Not my sandbox. I just play in it.

…..

**Friday: Park Bench**

…

Today is slightly dreary. I take some sort of sick satisfaction in this. The weather matches my mood. I want everyone else to be as miserable as I am.

Axel had a point.

I sit cross-legged on my bed, glaring dolefully out the window. Hayner had abandoned me before lunch, hanging out with his non-angsting friends for the afternoon. I don't really blame him. I'm not a very good person to be around when I'm … moody.

Axel hasn't come looking for me yet today. It's starting to really worry me.

It shouldn't worry me. I should be relieved that the overgrown, red-haired… _annoyance_ doesn't seem to have any interest in me any more. But I do worry, and that worries me even more.

I hear a knock on the door, soft. Not like Axel's knocks. I sigh after that momentary sliver of hope and call out morosely,

"Come in. It's open." The door cracks open, and Namine peeks around it.

"Roxas? Are you all right?" Namine's a real sweetheart, in spite of what I said about her on Tuesday. "Hayner said you weren't feeling too good." I smile wanly at her.

"I'm okay."

"Liar," she accuses with a small smile, dancing in and sitting on the edge of my bed. "It's not good for you to be alone when you're sad," she continues. "Do you want to come and hang out with the girls and me? The next season of Top Model is playing another marathon." I roll my eyes, and she notices the expression, giggling. "I don't get why you dislike it so much!"

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I like watching all of your girly shows," I say, sticking my tongue out at her. She laughs, swatting at me.

"You didn't seem to mind it when Axel came around looking for volunteers for Sardines!"

"That's different, I was trying to get out of it!"

"Why were you trying to get out of it, anyway?" Namine asks, giving me a disapproving glance. "Axel's not bad looking, and he's totally into you."

"Try 'totally into my pants,' Namine," I say, flinching undetectably to anyone not myself as I realize that this isn't entirely true.

"Who wouldn't be?" Namine replies with a devious smirk. "But I have a feeling about him, Roxas. _I_ think he actually cares about you." I shrug one shoulder, looking at my hands, limp in my lap.

"Probably not any more, after the way I treated him yesterday," I say, a hint of gloom in my voice. "I basically called him a sex-obsessed pervert to his face. True or not, who wants to be around someone with that opinion of you?" Namine clicks her tongue, rolling her eyes.

"It can't be that bad."

"Even if by some miracle it isn't 'that bad,' I'm not looking for a casual relationship right now. I'm just the latest in a string of – of – conquests to him, Nam," I say with a note of finality, looking away from Namine and out the window again.

"That's not what Demyx says." Namine's voice is sing-song, and I turn to her, confused.

"What do you mean?" Namine is wearing a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. This means trouble.

"We-ell, I happened to overhear – "

"You were eavesdropping – "

"_I. Happened. To. Overhear._ Demyx telling Marluxia – the Neverland Hall RA, you know? – that he's never seen Axel get so worked up over a fling before. And Demyx and Axel have known each other for years, so you know that's reliable reconaissance, right there."

"Don't be ridiculous," I scoff, turning away again. "There's no reason he should act differently because of me."

"Except that he liiiiiikes yoooou," Namine chants. "Face it Roxy, you're _special_." She gives me a cheesy grin, patting me on the shoulder and leaving my room before I can protest to her conclusion or the nickname.

…

Demyx has had today's event planned for a while, now, so there's not much to do. This does means nothing to Demyx, who is bouncing around the dorm common room, looking for something more to set up.

"Demyx," I say, lowering my head to my hand and massaging my temples in an attempt to alleviate my up-and-coming headache. "There's nothing more to do. Sit down before you hurt yourself." He gives me a pout and plops down on the couch next to me.

"I just want it to be perfect… At least I got good prizes!" Demyx is beaming suddenly, bouncing in his seat. If he were a dog, his tail would be wagging. I raise an eyebrow, throwing my hands behind my head and leaning back into my seat to examine my friend.

"What is the prize, anyway?" He blew most of our budget on it, it has to be good. The innocently happy look is gone, replaced by a sly grin.

"You know how SeeD is playing at the amphitheatre next month…?" At the leading question, I freeze. Demyx knows damn well that SeeD is my favorite band, and he knows damn well that I have been trying to get tickets to that concert for ages.

"You didn't…"

"I did," he replies smugly. "Two front-row tickets to SeeD's Balamb Garden tour at Traverse Town Amphitheatre, for one of our lucky little residents. If you're extra nice to the winner, they might bring you with them." My jaw drops. Be _nice_ to one of the _Freshmeat_? … They are _SeeD _tickets, though…

"Aw, Demy, can't I play in the game?" Demyx frowns at me.

"The game is for the residents, Axel." I consider this trying to find a way around this horrible, horrible truth.

"Well, technically, _I'm_ a resident, aren't I? I do reside here, after all." I give him my most winning grin. Demyx opens his mouth, as if to object, but doesn't have anything to say. He closes his mouth, repeats the action, and then looks stumped.

"I… I guess that's true…"

"And it's not like I don't pay my student activity fees, just like everyone else." More hopeful grins, combined with puppy dog eyes. Demyx looks even more lost.

"Uh… ummm… I suppose it would be okay…" Yes! Now I just have to make sure I win.

The game we're going to play is called Park Bench. The first player sits on a "bench" – or a chair, or a sofa, or a coffee table… – and the other players take turns trying to get the first player to get up from the bench, without physically pulling them off of it and within a minute. If someone gets the first player to leave, they take his spot. The person who toughs it out the longest wins.

Now, me, I can withstand anything. I'm not ticklish, nothing really grosses me out, and blackmail doesn't faze me. Getting into the seat is another matter, but I figure I have one surefire way of accomplishing this – if Roxy is on the bench, I can simply order him –

"Oh, but Axel," Demyx pipes up suddenly, interrupting my plotting. I look up, surprised to find his face stern. "No cheating! And that means the Simon Says game is suspended until the end of the game. We can't give you an unfair advantage!"

Well, shit.

…

I huddle in a corner, arms folded, as I watch the rest of Atlantica Hall milling about the common room, chattering excitedly at one another. Admittedly, they have good reason to be excited – the SeeD tickets are almost a better prize than the 500 munny from the Simon Says game. Almost. But I am still feeling crummy about the way I have treated Axel.

And would you _look_ at him? Smiling and joking with the other residents like nothing is wrong. I guess for him, nothing _is_ wrong. I guess I'm not even a blip on his radar. Nothing worth worrying about, me.

Yes, I am aware that I am self-centered and feeling sorry for myself. Why should I care what the redheaded pevert thinks of me? I should be thankful that he hasn't seen me yet and is out of my hair.

Is he ignoring me? He'd better not be ignoring me. If he's ignoring me, I gonna –

Demyx is standing on one of the couches calling for attention. As he explains the rules of this little ice-breaker game, my eyes stray once again to Axel, who is examining the competition with a predatory expression. I haven't played this game before, but the concept is pretty easy, I guess. Get the other player to move within the specified time limit, and you win.

Axel's eyes meet mine, and I freeze. Where a moment ago there had been that all-too-familiar mischievous gleam, now there is… nothing. It's like he's looking at some stranger, not someone he's been joking around wi – tormenting, these past few days.

My stomach drops, to my annoyance. I don't know when exactly I let Axel get under my skin, but I don't like it. The last person who could make me feel this way with a simple glance was… well. I'm sure you can guess, I've whined about him enough.

I avoid Axel's gaze as Demyx starts the game, but I can still feel his eyes on me. It's a creepy, cold feeling, like someone's dropped ice cubes down the back of my shirt. My stomach is in knots, and it's difficult to concentrate on the game. I'm dimly aware when Namine is chased from the bench by some lame freshman kid who found a dead spider in the corner and dangled it in front of her face.

Pouting, she walks over to me and drapes herself over my shoulder.

"Well, that was disappointing. I wonder how he knew I was afraid of spiders…" she mumbles into my shirt. I don't respond. If I say anything, Axel will notice. I'm sure of it. Namine looks up from my shoulder, scrutinizing. "You don't look so well, Roxas. And you're not paying attention to me." Her voice becomes slightly petulant in the second statement. "What's the matter?"

"Is he watching me still?" I ask, moving my mouth as little as possible. Namine looks confused.

"Who?" I give her a Look.

"Who do you think?" Who else? I can feel his eyes on me still. I know the answer to my own question already, but I want to be absolutely positive. I want Namine to see the look on his face and to tell me that I'm imagining the indifference.

"Oh," she says, cocking her head to the side and glancing over to where Axel is sitting. "No, he's not. He's just watching the game." I stare at her incredulously and follow her gaze. Axel is making some derisive remark about the current Park Bench champion to Demyx, who is trying to maintain his disapproving RA expression and failing as he muffled his laughter.

He's not looking at me. So why do I still feel so awful?

Hayner manages to budge the reigning champion (the boy who scared Namine off) by merely cracking his knuckles and giving him a menacing glare that promises retribution later if he doesn't immediately vacate the bench. Namine snickers, glad that her tormenter was so easily intimidated himself. Normally, I would find this funny. Namine notices my lack of enthusiasm.

"You knooow…" she begins, drawing out the syllables. "I heard that Axel _really_ likes SeeD… They're his favorite band." I stiffen at the mention of his name.

"So?" I ask cageily, giving Namine a blank look as she starts drawing circles on the sleeve of my sweatshirt with her index finger.

"Sooo… I'm sure he'd be ecstatic to go with whoever wins the tickets." I say nothing. Namine's circles become hearts. She giggles as the silence between us grows. "You know, I've always thought that going to a concert is the best kind of date. You get to know a lot about a person by the kind of music they enjoy. Plus, you get to share your interests." My mouth suddenly becomes dry, and I swallow a few times to get rid of that cottony feeling.

"Oh well. Someone would have to figure out how to get Hayner off the bench, and everyone who's known him for more than two minutes knows he the most stubborn person in the world. By the way, Roxas… Isn't SeeD your favorite band, too? Maybe Hayner will give you his extra ticket." Namine's tone is casual and innocent, but her words are leading. She smiles at me and lifts her head off my shoulder. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Roxas. I'm going to go see what Kairi and Selphie are talking about."

She prances off and I stare after her, confounded. As I turn my attention back to the game, I catch Axel's eye once more. He smirks, as if he's suddenly figured something out. It makes me nervous.

"You're up Roxy!" Demyx suddenly pops into my line of sight. "You're one of the last few! Think you can make Hayner move?"

Hayner smirks at me from the sofa that is serving as our "bench", crossing his arms challengingly. I think for a moment, tilting my head to the side, before a plan forms in my mind. I return Hayner's smirk and nonchalantly stroll up to him, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"You've got quite a reputation here, Hayner. I wonder what would happen to that reputation if they found out about Mr. Kupo…" Mr. Kupo, Hayner's stuffed moogle, sits proudly on top of Hayner's pillows, safe and out-of-sight in our room. Hayner can't sleep without him.

My roommate pales and stands up, abruptly stalking to the other side othe room and fixing me with a fearful glare as I cheerfully take his seat amongst the applause.

"Jeez, Roxy, what'd you _say_ to him?" Demyx asks in awe. I just smile cheerfully at him. You never know when blackmail like that could come in handy. The game continues – there are still a dozen or so left of about fifty residents. I am immovable, and with each failure, I become more and more confident.

And then I realize that Axel, instead of fascilitating the game, is actually _playing_.

"All right, Axy!" Demyx cries as Axel moves to stand in front of the bench. "Let's see if you can make our undefeated champion budge!"

The split second before Axel acts seems to take forever. He's giving me a superior smirk, his eyes glinting. The distant, impassive glaze from earlier is gone. I grip the fabric of the sofa tightly, steeling myself.

He walks up to me. I wonder, as he gets close enough to whisper, if he is going to use the Simon Says game to make me move. I realize though, that Demyx – being as fair-minded as he is – would probably have forbidden this. So why is he getting so clo – _too_ close!

I stop breathing for a moment as Axel's lips move to cover mine. They're soft, but demanding, challenging me to respond. Axel's hands touch my shoulders, pushing me back into the sofa. I gasp as he nips at my bottom lip, allowing him to press his tongue into my mouth. Some part of me, detached from everything else, notes that he has a barbell through his tongue, and that same detached train of thought tells me that _I like this_. The rest of me is chanting a mantra of _ohmygodohmygodohmygod_, as I allow my eyes to close and I begin to enjoy the feeling of Axel's mouth on mine.

And suddenly, I realize that we are in a room full of fifty people, all watching us and suddenly silent, and that this is Axel who's kissing me – Axel, who I've been trying to avoid like the plague all week, Axel who wants in my pants, Axel who's name I haven't even spoken out loud yet to his face even though he has been calling me by a pet name from day one, AxelAxel _Axel –_

I pull away, staring at him in shock. He draws back as well, his usual cat-that-ate-the-canary smirk growing as he stares back with half-lidded eyes. The silence is deafening. Distantly, I note that Hayner is slack-jawed, and Namine looks like Christmas has come early.

I have to get out of here. I push past Axel and run out of the common room, and don't stop until I somehow find myself on the rooftop where I hid playing Sardines.

If Demyx hadn't arrived, would he have kissed me then, too? But no – Axel doesn't mind an audience, as he just demonstrated.

I press my fingers to my mouth, recalling the feel of his lips. I should feel violated. Disgusted. Humiliated.

But all I can think is that I want him to kiss me again.

…

Axel won the SeeD tickets, as everyone else was in too much shock to imagine a way to get him to leave the bench. Roxas, on the other hand, fell asleep on the roof, woke from a nightmare around three in the morning, and dragged himself back to bed. Hayner didn't stir, his arms clamped tightly around Mr. Kupo.

Roxas found himself wishing he had someone to hug in his sleep too.

…..

::hides:: Sorry I was away for so long. Life happened. Friend drama is over, we're buds again, back working at Borders because one of the other cashiers got fired, more essays, volunteered myself as a study-break commissioner for my college programming club (basically, I plan events like Demy and Ax and the other RAs do. D), F.I.N.A.L.S, Sims 3 came out, went to England and France with the family, and more work. It's almost Welcome Week again at my college, so it looks like I failed this time around to complete it before school starts.

Um, so that was the first kissing scene I have ever wrote in the history of ever. How'd I do? X|

See you next time in **Saturday: Seven Minutes in Heaven**.

(PS – Reviews make me uber happy. :D )


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